Headsets that can blockout the typing of a mechanical keyboard

apastuszak · 14 Apr 2023, 20:10

I was on a quest to find a headset I could use on conference calls that can block out the noise a mechanical keyboard makes.

After finding headsets that were able to completely block out music I was playing in the background, those same headsets would not block out typing noises from my Model M or my Tactile Pro.

Then work got me the Jabra Engage 75 headset. By some miracle, this headset could block out almost all typing noise. For the last 3 years I have been happily typing away on this thing.

Until this morning. This morning I'm on a call and typing away and my boss messages me and tells me to mute, because my typing is louder than the people talking. I went into the headset software and confirmed all the noise cancelling features are turned on.

I think a firmware update may have modified the noise cancelling algorithm and screwed me.

So, I'm on the quest for a new headset that can make using a mech on a headset bearable for the people I am on the call with.

Does anyone have any recommendations?

Muirium · 14 Apr 2023, 21:48

Maybe you just need to think a little outside the box.

Spoiler:

Loud keyboards are loud. You need the mic insulated from them, or to have a quieter board for conferencing.

apastuszak · 16 Apr 2023, 18:44

What's frustrating for me is that I had solution. I could type on a Model M and no one could hear me. Either the vendor came along and messed it up with a firmware update, or Microsoft messed it up with an update to Teams.

I think the sound of a mechanical keyboard is not that big a deal, when sitting around the office. But headset microphones seem to amplify typing on any keyboard. My old boss would type on a Lenovo rubber dome keyboard and people would tell him to mute all the time.

Someone once recommended I get one of these:

https://www.asus.com/us/accessories/hea ... c-adapter/

But if I got that, I would need a new headset, since the one I have is USB.

TNT · 16 Apr 2023, 19:05

If the problem isn't that you personally would like to hear less of your own keyboards you could consider going for a separate microphone with good noise-cancelling characteristics.

I have only good experiences with Antlion's modmics. They're attached to the side of any heaphones of your choice with a little magnet dock. The Uni has the unidirectional capsule and is probably better suited for your case. They even have a wireless solution, if you fancy that.

There are also plenty standalone desk-mics who claim to have good noise cancelling, but I've never looked into that, so no idea what's true and tested there ...

apastuszak · 20 Apr 2023, 21:48

How well does the ModMic cancel out your typing noise?

TNT · 20 Apr 2023, 22:22

To be honest, I'll have to test it first. Model F is bueno, even with the omnidirectional capsule. But it probably also depends on your room and general setup. I'll whip out the beamspring when I get the chance

Julle · 21 Apr 2023, 08:02

Before you buy a new headset, both nVidia and AMD offer noise suppression software that use the GPU's AI capabilities to suppress background noise. AMD's solution is integrated in the graphics driver package, I'm not sure if nVidia's RTX voice has a separate installer or if it's included in their graphics driver. I've found both of these to be very good.

You could also give Krisp noise suppression (https://krisp.ai/) a try if your work computer doesn't support the aforementioned solutions. I don't have personal experience with this, but they claim that a lot of evil multinational corporations use it and that it's "free forever". I don't know how much personal data one has to give up to use this "free" app.

apastuszak · 29 Apr 2023, 03:04

Julle wrote: 21 Apr 2023, 08:02 Before you buy a new headset, both nVidia and AMD offer noise suppression software that use the GPU's AI capabilities to suppress background noise. AMD's solution is integrated in the graphics driver package, I'm not sure if nVidia's RTX voice has a separate installer or if it's included in their graphics driver. I've found both of these to be very good.

You could also give Krisp noise suppression (https://krisp.ai/) a try if your work computer doesn't support the aforementioned solutions. I don't have personal experience with this, but they claim that a lot of evil multinational corporations use it and that it's "free forever". I don't know how much personal data one has to give up to use this "free" app.

Sadly, none of that is an option.

Muirium · 29 Apr 2023, 09:26

Quieter keyboard.

What was that? What did you say?

TNT · 29 Apr 2023, 14:54

Yeah, I think I'll have to report that as Spam. Seems like somebody hijacked µ's account :/

Muirium · 29 Apr 2023, 15:13

This tasty plaintext is brought to you by Damped Switches SEO holdings pty inc, Karachi, Delaware.

TNT · 29 Apr 2023, 16:34

Where do I enter my credit card information?

TNT · 29 Apr 2023, 21:23

Apparently, testing my Beamer is futile. Capacitive Buckling spring are much louder: viewtopic.php?f=2&p=513688&sid=4156218f ... 86#p513688

Muirium · 01 May 2023, 11:18

They are and aren’t. Sound is complicated. To my ear, my 3278 is very loud indeed—even with the solenoid off—while my Fs are, well, about the same but a bit less “clonky”, for want of an onomatopoeia. F probably is louder in the objective sense of the peaks of a waveform coming out a mic, but beamspring sounds no less loud to me. They are however very differently shaped sounds. F has more click and ring, Beam has a dramatic thunk.

TNT · 01 May 2023, 21:46

Muirium wrote: 01 May 2023, 11:18 They are and aren’t. Sound is complicated. To my ear, my 3278 is very loud indeed—even with the solenoid off—while my Fs are, well, about the same but a bit less “clonky”, for want of an onomatopoeia. F probably is louder in the objective sense of the peaks of a waveform coming out a mic, but beamspring sounds no less loud to me. They are however very differently shaped sounds. F has more click and ring, Beam has a dramatic thunk.

I was referring to the video in the thread, where the switches were tested with a sound metre under similar conditions. I totally see where you're coming from (in my head, my beamer is much loader because of the roomier case, the deeper sound etc., that's why I wanted to test it), but the numbers give me an excuse for being lazy